


Hanakotoba

by pseudian



Category: I reincarnated into an otome game as a villainess with only destruction flags (Light Novel & Manga)
Genre: Eventual Happy Ending, F/F, F/M, Marriage of Convenience, Multi, OT4, Temporarily Unrequited Love, Unreliable Narrator, Yuletide, Yuletide 2018
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-16
Updated: 2018-12-18
Packaged: 2019-09-20 13:03:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 3,423
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17023125
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pseudian/pseuds/pseudian
Summary: It takes a variety of flowers to make a truly beautiful bouquet, especially when the one gathering them is as clueless as one Bakarina Claes.





	1. Camellia

**Author's Note:**

  * For [straightforwardly](https://archiveofourown.org/users/straightforwardly/gifts).



> I hope that I managed to write you a fic that you'll enjoy, straightforwardly! I did my best to incorporate the poly and political marriage themes that you were interested in, and I hope that I hit the notes you were hoping I would hit! Happy Holidays!

To find Keith in her garden is not the most unusual sight, but usually he's here to drag her off to other appointments, or to escort her when they have other friends visiting. It’s a surprise for Katarina to find him as he is now, crouching with his heels in the dirt as he peers at the flowers. As she comes closer, she notices a wistful air to him as he cups one of the deep red blooms in his hand.

“Keith?”

Her brother startles at her call, cornflower blue eyes wide with surprise as he lets the blossom go. 

“Ah! Big sister…” 

There’s a strange cant to his expression, one that she hasn’t seen before. Curious, Katarina comes closer, plopping down onto the ground beside her brother.

“What has you out in my garden today? Usually I’m the only one communing with the earth!”

Keith smiles faintly and shrugs. 

“I wanted to clear my head a little, and here seemed as good a place as any to do that.” As he trails off, the corners of his lips falter. “No, that’s not quite true.”

Sighing, Keith sits, pulling his legs to his chest. With his hair in his eyes and his chin on his knees, he suddenly looks so very young. 

“I have some hard things to think about, and this place always makes me feel better.”

“Hmm” Katarina surveys her garden, which is full of sturdy green life. “Plants really are cheerful, aren’t they?”

“Maybe?” Even with his mouth hidden, Keith’s smile is audible in his tone of voice. “Mostly this place just reminds me of you.”

Even if she wanted to, there’s no way Katarina could hide the smile spreading across her face.

“I’m so flattered! My little brother is so cute!”

She flings herself onto Keith, who grunts a little at the impact, but doesn’t complain until she starts ruffling his hair.

“Stop that!”

“But how could I resist?”

“Your self-control truly could use some work,” Keith sighs, and although his rueful amusement is expected, there’s a melancholy note to his tone that rings off-key to Katarina’s ears. Suddenly, she remembers why Keith said he came out here in the first place.

“So...” She stops teasing, and sits on her knees, although one of her hands stays on Keith’s shoulder. “What hard things were you thinking about?”

“It’s nothing you need to worry about.” Keith says, looking away.

“Hey!” Katarina bumps Keith with her shoulder. “I’m your big sister! If something worries you, it worries me too!”

Keith scrubs at his face, sighing heavily, then settles with his fist over his mouth. It’s truly the pose of someone deep in thought.

“Your friend Sophia has asked me to court her.”

Of all the things Katarina was expecting Keith to say, this was not one of them.

“Oh wow! Sophia’s a heart-stopper, for sure!” She says, bouncing with excitement for a moment before she realizes that this is apparently a bad thing. “But, is there something wrong with her request?”

“I suppose a lot of people would say there isn’t anything wrong. She’s a beautiful girl with a good bloodline, we get along, she’s friends with our family, and as the heir to the Claes line, I’m going to have to have an heir with _someone_ at some point, but...” Suddenly Keith looks so very tired. “It's complicated.”

Katarina frowns, and draws herself up to show just how serious she is about her next words.

“You're my precious only little brother, Keith. No matter what our heritage or society expects of us, your needs are by far the most important to me.” She tightens her fists in her lap, and plaintively says, “I don’t want to bother you, but if there’s anything I can do, please lean on me.”

“I appreciate that, big sister.” For the first time since she found him out here, Keith’s smile regains some of its usual warmth, but it’s still a pained expression. “If I could, I would take your assistance in a heartbeat, but… the person who I like is just not someone who I can marry.”

“Wha-”

As Katarina cocks her head in confusion, Keith coughs and stands up, brushing dirt off of his pants.

“Like I said, it’s complicated. Sophia isn’t the one who I most want to wed, but she’s probably the best option that I have, given my circumstances.”

In an obvious attempt to drop the awkward conversation, he turns back toward the house. 

“Thanks for helping me figure that out. I should write a letter to her parents, to formally begin our courtship. So, I’ll be taking my leave.”

His words are phrased like a question, but they sound like a statement. Certainly, there’s no room for Katarina to call him back, since Keith is already waving over his shoulder in dismissal before he’s even finished speaking.

She bites her lip, unable to do anything other than watch him walk away from her. As he strides away, she wonders: When did her little brother’s back become so broad?


	2. Clover

Katarina wracks her brain, but can't quite figure out what to do. She just doesn't have the necessary experience. For all that she has spent her whole life trying to shape the path of other people’s romances out of a sense of self-preservation, she hasn’t once found time to experience a love of her own.

The real question is: who would Keith like, but be unable to marry? There's plenty of wonderful people in their lives, of course, but if Keith were in love, there wouldn't be many obstacles to pursuing that person. As the heir of Duke Claes, there isn't a noble alive who wouldn't be thrilled to have him marry one of their daughters, and as the beloved adopted son of Katarina's mother and father, if he wanted to love match with someone of lower social status, there wouldn't be a problem there either.

Maybe he's in love with someone who is promised to someone else already? But he and Mary have never had a relationship like lovers, and his eyes have never lingered on any of the other engaged women that Katarina can think of. So what could be the problem?

She continues pondering even up to the point where she's chaperoning him and Sophia on their first walk through the gardens, following them from a distance as is proper - within sight, but out of earshot. They make a stunning couple, with Sophia's pale countenance and Keith's wheat blonde hair giving then a muted, fairy-like air. Surrounded by the greenery of the blooming gardens, they could be something out of a dreamy pastel.

Katarina sighs heavily.

“Is something the matter?” Nikol asks. “I know we're here out of duty to our siblings, but usually you aren't so sullen unless something has happened."

He pauses, then squints at her, asking, “Did you eat too many sweets after lunch?”

“No,” Katarina sulks, “I only wish!”

She pouts and crosses her arms, brain whirling like a hamster on a wheel, then suddenly springs up with energy. “Oh! Nikol! You're a boy!”

“... Yes?” Nikol says, a strange expression on his face. 

Katarina grins brightly as she says, “I’m worried about Keith, but I can’t understand his thinking. As a fellow man, maybe you can help clarify things for me?”

With a slow nod, Nikol says, “I’ll try my best.”

Relieved, Katarina rattles off her understanding of the situation, about Keith's tragic love and her inability to figure out how to fix it

"What could possibly be keeping a boy like Keith from marrying anyone he could possibly want to marry? He's of high rank, all of his family supports his decisions, and goodness knows he's been blessed with the good looks that missed me with my slanted ice-queen eyes!"

Over-energized with frustration, Katarina waves her arms in the air.

"It's just such a mystery!"

"Ah." Nikol looks conflicted. "There's many things that I would like to say in response to the statement you just made, Katarina."

"Well, we have plenty of time?" Katarina waves at Sophia and Keith, who are demurely seated on a bench, hands resting side by side, but short of touching. "Our carriage isn't coming for at least another hour."

Nikol sighs. 

"For one, I would note that your looks aren't lacking in any way, shape, or form." He coughs, looking strangely red for someone who's just made an obligatory compliment to salve his friend's pride. Katarina lets it go, more interested in the rest of what he has to say. "For another... sometimes even rank and looks can't release you from the bounds of societal expectation."

His eyes slide away, towards the couple who have sat down at the fountain's edge. No, it suddenly strikes Katarina, his eyes are sliding towards Sophia, aren't they? Because for all that Keith's love story is tragic, Nikol must also be experiencing heart ache right now, because he's _also_ unable to marry the one he loves most. 

"Oh no! I'm sorry for poking my nose into a delicate subject!" Biting her lip, she pats his shoulder in consolation. “ Unrequited love is hard.”

Nikol looks shaken for a moment, then smiles at her, wry and resigned.

"It's alright, Katarina. I've known for a long time already that my pursuit of love would be full of difficulties and pitfalls."

He bends to pick a flower from the gardens.

"I'm just happy that we can spend time together, no matter what the context of that shared time might be."

Nikol stands and offers the light pink bloom to her with a gentle smile on his face. It's such a smooth, gallant moment that Katarina's heart skips a beat. Even though it's only a gesture of friendship, he's so suave! Nikol is just so _dangerous_.

Out of the corner of her eye, she notices Keith glancing towards them. The moment his eyes reach Nikol, his expression shutters, and he turns back to Sophia with a tension in his shoulders that wasn't there before.

 _Oh_.

Katarina's brain feels like it's exploding into stars and galaxies as everything clicks into place. The one factor that she hadn't taken into account when trying to figure out Keith's problems was gender! But it makes so much sense, now that she realizes. Of course there's no way that Keith could marry the person he likes best if that person is Nikol, another man! And of course marrying Nikol's sister, Sophia, would be the best option that Keith could think of!

Ah, what a revelation!

"Thank you, Nikol," Katarina says, as she takes the flower he offers. 

Nikol mutters an “It was nothing” as he looks away, cheeks pink. 

Idly, Katarina tucks the blossom into her hair, just behind her ear, as she wonders if maybe Keith's regard is returned? It's not like a person can only have one crush at a time... Actually, if that's the case, this whole relationship tangle might be solved very easily!

"Hey, Nikol," she says, grin sharp and fox-like, "I think I'm going to come visit Sophia for tea tomorrow. Do you think you'll be able to keep Keith entertained while we ladies have a private chat?"


	3. Violet

“What blend is this, that we’re drinking? It’s really quite delicious!” Sophia is beautiful as always, dressed in shades of purple that highlight the bright gleam of her ruby eyes and the paleness of her skin. She really looks like some sort of angel, with the warm afternoon sunshine catching in her hair.

It takes Katarina a moment to realize that she’s being asked a question, and even then, she only manages to fumble up a vague, “Oh, it’s a blend that Father gifted it to me recently. I just thought you might like it.”

If Katarina had thought Sophia was lovely before, her expression now can only be described as angelic as her lips curve into a gentle smile.

“I’m glad that you would share such a precious gift with me!”

The impact on Katarina’s heart is almost audible. This girl… is truly a heroine from a romance novel brought to life! It’s so obvious, in moments like these, how she and Nikol are related.

“It was nothing…” Katarina clears her throat. “Ah, pardon me for being so abrupt, but I did ask you here for a specific purpose, Sophia.”

“Yes? What is it?”

“I-” Katarina has been planning for this. Really! She had run through a dozen different scripts for elegant speeches expressing her thanks and offering to help Sophia and Keith in their romantic pursuits. Instead, what blurts out of her mouth is: “Is Nikol interested in anyone romantically?” 

Sophia looks taken aback, but also not nearly as upset as Katarina worried she might become. “I really couldn’t say,” she demures. “Why do you ask?”

“I know that you’re marrying Keith so you can both stay near Nicol, and I support your happiness! But he'll need a wife eventually!” Katarina raises her hand, pointer finger jabbing up into the air for emphasis. “So, if I marry him, then he’ll be off the market! And I won’t have any problem with sharing, so you three can be assured in your happiness.”

“Oh my.“ Sophia is staring at Katarina with a heartbreak written all over her face, and Katarina clutches her hands to her chest, taken aback.

“Did I … Did I misinterpret something?”

“Well.” Sophia catches her plump lower lip between her teeth, leaving it even pinker and more glossy than before. “It’s true that Nicol is my beloved brother, and I can agree that he’s handsome, but the one who Keith and I are getting married in order to stay beside is _you_!”

“W-what?” The world slips sideways. Katarina holds her head in her hands as she tries to parse the words that have just come out of Sophia’s mouth. “I don’t understand!”

“But it’s true!”

Katarina sits down heavily in her chair and picks up her tea cup. As she sips the hot liquid in a daze, Sophia speaks further. 

“Maybe you can’t see it, but there’s a quality about you that’s so wonderful, Katarina! You’re kind and gentle, a person who carries a refreshing feeling with them wherever you go! Like a romance novel heroine!”

The irony of Sophia saying this about Katarina is poignant, and for a moment, Katarina wonders if she's truly an otome game character, and there's a player somewhere out in the universe controlling her story. But then Sophia continues. 

“I’ve always despaired that, as a woman, I’d never be able to marry you. It never seemed fair that the Emerald Princess and Sophia got a happy ending, but you and I were destined to be friends and never lovers.”

“Ah…” An ache flares deep in Katarina’s chest. “I’m so sorry, Sophia! I never knew!”

“You weren’t supposed to.” Sophia looks away. “I was originally ready to suffer in silence, to be honest, but … Can you imagine what it would be like to see the one you love in a bridal gown, smiling and waving goodbye as they leave your side forever? Because I did.” She turns back to Katarina, dewy tears gleaming at the corners of her eyes. “I thought about it for days and nights, and I couldn’t bear it.”

Slouching smaller in her chair, Sophia curls in on herself as she whispers, “That’s what Keith and I have in common, what made us decide to marry. If I became your sister-in-law, I could stay by your side, you see? And if he married me, he would have a wife who would be alright that she wasn't the one who possessed his heart.”

Where Sophia’s smile before was radiant as the sun, her current quavering expression is muted and pale, a bitter moon-washed reflection. 

“I hope you can forgive my selfishness, Katarina.”

“Oh Sophia.” Katarina can’t help but sigh, standing to round the table so that she can cup Sophia's face in her hand and wipe her cheek dry with her thumb. “How could I forgive you when there’s nothing for you to apologize for?”

Like a small cat, Sophia leans her head into Katarina’s touch, looking suddenly hopeful.

“Does that mean… you’re not mad?”

Katarina’s lips quiver, but she’s smiling despite the emotion welling up in her throat.

“Would I hug someone that I'm mad at?”

She staggers when Sophia throws herself into her arms, but when she finds her footing, Katarina hugs Sophia back just as fiercely. They hold each other tightly until a soft cough from behind them breaks the silence.


	4. Gerbera

When Katarina and Sophia turn, they find Nikol and Keith hovering uncertainly in the doorway.

"Are we interrupting something?" Nikol asks.

"No! Actually, you've come at just the right time" Katarina straightens up and plants her hands on her hips. "How long were you planning to wait to properly confess to me, huh?"

Nikol and Keith both flinch, glance at each other, then look back at her.

"Ah..." Nikol rubs the back of his neck as Keith wrings his hands. "Who exactly are you addressing that question to?"

"Why, both of you, of course! But Keith! Didn't I ask you what was wrong, directly?" Katarina stalks up to them and pokes her brother in the chest. "Well?"

“I was afraid,” says Keith, looking as if he's a man doomed to hang who is dictating his last words. "And I couldn't bear to drive you away by clinging too tightly to you." 

“Didn't I promise that I would always stay by your side? And that I could never hate you?” says Katarina, scowling as she ruffles Keith's hair to vent her frustration. " Am I the kind of person who breaks my word?”

"I... no." Keith sighs, defeated. 

"And you!" Katarina rounds on Nikol, turning the full force of her annoyance onto him. "What was all that nonsense that you were saying in the gardens about unrequited love, yesterday?"

Hands spread helplessly before himself, Nikol says, "It's not nonsense, if it's true?"

"Bah!" Katarina crosses her arms over her chest. "It's a good thing that Sophia is smarter than the both of you! How can your love be unrequited if you haven't given me the chance to properly accept or reject it?"

Nikol's face twists strangely, then he pinches the bridge of his nose.

"If that's the case, then let me say this clearly."

With that, Nikol gets down on one knee and takes Katarina's hand in a truly princely gesture. 

"If all the best people that we know are flowers in a beautiful garden, every leaf and blossom is nothing compared to the strength and grace you display. You're the sun, Katarina, and I'm helpless to do anything but cling to your radiance as tightly as I can. I love you. Do you think that you could love me back?"

With how red she's sure her cheeks are, Katarina doesn't feel radiant, but before she can say as much, Keith takes her other hand, kneeling at her other side.

"I have to speak up, too. We’re not blood related, and while I call you sister, when I said I love you, I mean it romantically. I can't imagine being with anyone other than you.”

He presses his lips to her knuckles.

“Maybe it’s selfish of me, but if you wanted a confession of my true feelings, that's what they are.”

"Well." Katarina looks back and forth between the bowed heads of Nikol and Keith, then takes a deep breath and squares her shoulders. "Well!"

With all the dignity of a queen, she drops down to kneel at the same level as Keith and Nikol.

"This is all very new to me! I've never thought of myself as anything special! Sophia is beautiful, and Nikol is charming, and Keith is intelligent, and I'm just Katarina!"

Katarina bites her lip, then declares, "But you two and Sophia are some of the most important people in my life! And I've never thought I'd have one lover, not to mention three, but if you love me, how could I not love you back?"

She frees her hands from Keith and Nikol's, so that she can grab them both by the necks and drag them into a teary hug. Sophia joins in soon after, throwing herself to the ground and into their embrace.

Katarina doesn't know how she went from the villainess to the capture target in this otome game plot, but this ending, in the arms of three of her most precious people? This ending leaves her with no regrets.

**Author's Note:**

> OPTIONAL OMAKE: 
> 
> Because she’s a dip, Katarina gets down on one knee and seriously asks Nikol if he will wait for her, because she has to break up with Gerald before she can become engaged to him and properly square off their four-way relationship. 
> 
> "But I'm sure it will be quick! He's certain to be pleased to be released from his obligation to me!", she says, not noticing the looks on the other three’s faces as they try to figure out how to break the news gently.


End file.
